City of New Beginnings
by Nikki Firesong
Summary: Clary is in the middle of planning for an epic holiday bash. She wasn't expecting find out that she was pregnant the day of the event. In a whirl of emotions, she imagines that Jace wouldn't be ready to be a father... Clace fluff. One shot. Rated K for some swearing.


**Nikki's Note: Whew, I had to do some digging to find this one. I remember writing this back in December of LAST year, but never finding the time to upload it. Thank God it's the weekend and I have loads of free time. A WHOLE 48 hours worth! XD Anyways, I love The Mortal Instruments. It's just so great. I read the final book, City of Heavenly Fire, and recently got The Bane Chronicles, for my birthday. Sooo excited to read! TMI will always hold a special place in my heart-the same for Jace and Clary. I just felt like I needed to wrap their story up, as well as everyone else's. Y'aknow, seeing where life takes them a decade or so after the book. It's going to stay as a one-shot. I have no purpose to expand this. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the series, The Mortal Instruments, or any of the characters mentioned. All the rights belong to the genius that is Cassandra Claire.**

* * *

 _ **City of New Beginnings**_

 _ **The Mortal Instruments**_

Clary is 23, Jace is 25, Alec is 25, and Izzy is 24

"So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days." Genesis 29:20

December 20, 2014

 **Clary gazed with renowned excitement at the window,** her eyes shimmering with glee as the first flurry of the season made its way into New York. Christmas had grown to be one of her favorite time of year now that she was older, the opportunities for family get-togethers were much more exciting. When she had turned twenty-three in August, preparations for the winter holidays had begun. This would be the first year the newly wedded Herondales' will be hosting the annual Christmas party.

They had picked a lovely restaurant in central Times Square, and had rented the place out for the evening. Everything was going to be perfect that night, Clary felt confident, and she was more than ready to show of her awesome decorating skills to the family.

She smiled fondly at the thought. Nearly half a decade ago, it was just her mom, Simon and Luke. Now she had Mia, Emma Castairs, Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Mangus, and the Blackthorns. For the longest time, she could not picture life without her family, not after Sebastian's tyranny. Clary took in a deep breath and shivered, wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders.

She and Jace married three years ago and left the Institute just to have a place for themselves. It was beginning to get crowded in their family home, what with Simon and Isabelle starting their own family, as well as Alec and Mangus. They often visited it so much however, that it was dubbed as their second home anyway.

"Clary! Clary!" A small voice chimed, her bouncy brown curls jumping with her. She smiled lovingly at the five-year-old girl, Marisol Emery—though her brother could only pronounce 'Mari' and the nickname stuck. Her sister had brought so much happiness to her mother and Luke, and she adored her. Beside her, was her little brother of three, who surprisingly was not planned for. Jordan River—the family calls him by his middle name not to be confused by his namesake in conversations—was conceived nearly nine months after Mari, but her unconditional love extended to him even more; she vowed to protect them with her life. He was such a different character than her older brother, so happy and full of life. She made sure she was present for her siblings' life changing moments. Their first word, first step, first everything. Mari and River happened to be the two things to complete her perfect family. They had proven that in death comes life.

"Clary, did ya see the snow? Did ya?" River asked, opening his arms towards her.

"I did, bub. Guess we'll have a white Christmas this year, huh?" She grinned and picked him up. "Are you excited for the party?"

"Mommy has picked out an amazing dress for me, Clary! She's even making River wear a tie!" Mari quipped, spinning around.

The young woman laughed. River was the least bit sophisticated in any way, as he hated dressing up for social events. He was always a free spirit, and had his dark red hair spiked with gel every morning. He also loved shiny things, taking after his Uncle Mangus in fashion. Clary did not mind at all going to the female's section in clothing stores with him, though it did give them a few odd looks. She had some suspicions about River's sexuality, but she'll have to cross that bridge with her mother when the time came.

River grumbled unapprovingly, sticking his tongue out. "At least _I_ don't have to wear a huge purple bow."

Mari stomped her feet. "This bow happens to be my favorite! Big sister Clary, River's being rude to me!"

 _Spoilt little brat,_ She mused thoughtfully, grinning at her. Mari definitely took after her mother in her behavior, but she looked more like Luke with her brown mop of hair. She was the first child to be born after so many years and everyone babied her. She wished her parents would lay off a little on the coddling, because sometimes she could get difficult to deal with when she slept over with her brother. She shook her head at them. Five years ago if she was told she would have not one more sibling to love, but two, that would be harder to believe than finding out that her father was one of the most wanted and evil Shadowhunters in history. She may not have wished it, but she had received what she desired deep within her heart.

"That's enough, the both of you. Now come on; did you two finish your dinner?"

The two siblings sheepishly glanced at each other before sighing, "We got distracted by the snow. We want to go outside." River mumbled, looking at her pleadingly.

Clary frowned, "River, Mari, you're too young to go outside by yourself. You don't have the proper skills to fight off against demons yet. Besides, I do not have the proper outerwear for you here and our mother would kill me if she found out I sent the two of you prancing around without a guardian and came back harmed."

"Why can't you go with us, Clary?" Mari questioned, but River gave her a withering look.

"She's got the sniffles, remember? Sister had got cooties all week. Uncle Jace was the one who had to take us to see Santa… though, we're never allowed back in that mall again."

She smiled thinly at her little brother's explanation, but it was much worse than that. She had woken up with a headache the first day, and her breasts sore the next. She felt feathery and her stomach heavy all at once, finding everything she ate to taste wrong in her mouth. It was such a strange feeling. Her _parabati_ , Simon, couldn't explain her symptoms either, but he stayed with her when she had days that were worse than the others.

She shuddered and gave her brother the benefit of the doubt. She shooed the two children off to finish their dinner and watch their shows. Their apartment looked small on the outside, but thanks to Mangus's magic, it was grand and wonderful on the inside. On the first floor, there is a dining area, a living room, kitchen, and a study room for Jace. An ivory piano was in the living room given to them as a wedding gift. There were three large bedrooms and one guest bedroom on the "second floor" (it was merely an illusion for the mundanes, they lived on the top floor and it just led to the roof), and an art studio where Clary can practice drawing her runes and artwork. Clary couldn't imagine anything else for their first home together.

She made her way across the dining room in her slippers towards the study nook. She felt her stomach drop in nausea, though she kept it down, and tried to concentrate. The red haired woman knocked quietly on the door to the study, to which her husband called her in.

He was typing away at the computer, his eyebrows crinkling together in frustration and his lower lip curled downward. He was wearing reading glasses, something that he only wore on rare occasions. Clary did not mind when he did; there was something about men in glasses that made them super sexy, especially on her Jace. He glanced up at her after a few moments and his whole demeanor changed, a loving smile spread across his lips now.

"Feeling okay, babe? How're thing one and thing two?" He shut the computer down and motioned for her to sit on his lap. She smiled and complied to his offer, making herself comfortable. She knew Jace never wanted to admit it openly, but he had an affection for children. He feels scared because of how Valentine raised him that he obtained a false opinion of children over the years; his younger brother's death had also been a key part. He lets past actions explain how his current feelings are about the matter, but once he saw how Mari and River adored their uncle like a second father, his view changed from distaste to indifference. It was progress.

"My siblings decided that snow was much more exciting than dinner, but I talked them out of it. They could go to Central Park with Luke tomorrow." She grinned, leaning her head against his chest.

"I could have taken them, angel," Jace mumbled, looking at her closely. "You need to rest."

She shook her head, "Jace, it's okay; there's only so much we can do." She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he tightened his grip.

"How are you feeling?" He asked again, though it was faint, she heard a strain in his voice.

"Jace," She whined, peering up at him. His golden eyes were curious. "I'm fine. I think. It's just a bug—I'm going to visit Isabelle later today."

"In this weather? No you're not. Public transport will take hours."

"Um. Hello. Did you forget who you married? Clary Fairchild, master of creating runes and portals?" She snapped playfully at him, pinching his cheeks. He kissed her hand in return. "We Shadowhunters refuse to take part in mundane transportation." She added in a snobby tone.

"Stubborn girl," He grinned, and a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Hey, babe, what are you going to wear for the party? I don't think you told me."

She giggled, "It's a surprise. You'll find out with everybody else," She stuck her tongue out at him, "You're such a pervert."

He threw his hands up, "Is it too much to ask that I want to see my sexy wife in a tight dress?"

She positioned herself so she was on top of him, "It'll be worth the wait when you get to take it off. So if you stay quiet like a good boy, everything will go as planned."

He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "What brought this on, babe?"

"I love you." She breathed out, refusing to let him rebuttal her, and pressed her lips against his.

Even though Shadowhunters did not originally celebrate Christmas, the New York Institute was decked out for the holidays. A huge wreath hung in the doorway and a large tree was in the center of the main entryway. The Lewis's were in the Christmas spirit even more so, music playing throughout the Institute. After Myrse and Robert filed an official divorce those years ago, ties were split between the families. Isabelle and Alec took over as adjoined rulers, and Mangus had sold his apartment to a fearie woman so he could live with Alec and his adopted son, Elias.

Simon was watching Alec in the training room when he felt his _parabati_ rune burn, and his eyes furrowed in discomfort.

"I seriously can't take this anymore." He grunted, doubling over. "Is this normal?"

Alec stopped his practice and frowned, helping him up. "I'm not sure. The pain did not linger this long when I first became _parabati_ with Jace. When was the last time you saw Clary?"

"Only a few weeks ago we met at _Taki_ 's. She looked fine. She seemed distant, but she's always distant around the beginning of December."

"That's true," Alec mused, though his eyes were upset. "She called earlier today, saying that she would be here. You could try and talk with her then."

Simon shrugged, but he was hopeful, "I guess I could do that. Maybe she'll be more animated today. It is snowing, after all. Thanks for the talk, Alec."

"You're family now, Si. It's never a bother." He smiled fondly and nodded. Simon excused himself and chuckled, wandering off in the Institute.

It was strange how, after having his memories wiped clean, they gradually came back to him like a moth to flame. One can't simply hide from the Shadowhunter world; it calls you back, and Simon found it to be a smooth transition, though it was an emotional one. He had died twice—he will gladly die a third time to save the family he had become so accustomed to now. He may not be a Daylighter anymore, but he was a valuable member to the new world, and quite possibly the second best Shadowhunter of his time (first being Jace, of course). He was given a second chance at life with Isabelle and Clary; he sure as hell thanked his lucky stars he was brought to them again.

A loud laugh came from the study hall, and Simon recognized that sound as his daughters'. He couldn't help but grin himself.

Maxine was a lovely girl, and had Simon's features, but she had her mother's strong personality. She was able to take a hit and fight back, albeit headstrong, but she was going to be an excellent warrior someday. He asked himself often how he got so lucky. His best friend was now his _parabati_ , he had asked the most wonderful woman to be his wife, and he was more than ready to raise a family of Shadowhunter children.

"Mama, I'm hungry. Can we have dinner?" Maxine whined, stomping her feet. He heard their voices from the library.

"I'm not hungry, but I could go for a snack," Elias giggled, his eyes twinkling.

"You have to be patient, dear. It's not ready yet. Fix your posture," Simon came into the library to see his daughter with a book on her head, wearing gear. "We don't slouch."

She didn't say anything and just made a face, though her eyes widened when she saw her father. "Daddy! Daddy's here!"

The young boy smiled at her, but he kept his eyes on his tutor. Since they were the only children in the Institute, they had classes all day together. Mayrse mostly taught them, but whenever Isabelle had the time, she preferred to tutor the cousins personally.

She shot him an angry glare, "Si! What are you doing?"

"Why don't I take over?" He asked instead, grinning at his wife.

She rolled her eyes at him, "I know you three won't get any work done. Elias I have nothing to worry about, but Maxine loves her lessons when Alec and Jace teaches them more than mine."

"Izzy, she's five, almost six. She's not going to apply that to her life within the next year or two." He reasoned, but Isabelle was having none of it. Simon could be so naïve sometimes.

"My daughter needs to learn how to behave like a lady first before she learns how to fight." She puffed angrily, placing her arms on top of her belly.

"Isabelle, you need to take a break. You're over working yourself." He sighed, placing his hands on her five-month bump.

"Mommy…" Maxine started, her eyes suddenly looking across the room. Elias shifted his feet uncomfortably. He whispered something to her.

Isabelle opened her mouth and closed it abruptly, her eyes widening when she saw what her daughter was looking at. A flash of red hair came into view and Clary climbed out of the portal, her face green and her curls uncared for.

"Clary!" She gasped out, reaching out for her sister-in-law. "Clary, what's the matter?"

"I-Isabelle," She hissed, and Simon's _parabati_ rune burned again. "I need—"

She thought quickly, and pulling on Clary's arm, the two of them hurried down the hall. Simon shared a look with the children, silently telling them that lessons were over for the day. Their cheers made the young father smile but his mind was whirling. He followed suit, walking up the big steps that led to their bedrooms.

Simon's heart clenched when he heard Clary sobbing in their bathroom, and Isabelle's soothing voice. Retching sounds came soon after and a moment of realization came over him. He bit his lip in anxiousness as he wrapped his hands against the door knob, slamming the wooden door with the other.

" _Simon_! Go away," Clary wailed, her voice broken. "Please. I don't want you to see me like this."

" _Clary,_ " He hissed, his hands shaking. His wife whispered soothing words to her, but that only made her cry harder.

"How am I going to tell Jace, Izzy? What am I going to do?" She whimpered, and an angry growl escaped Simon's throat.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Isabelle exclaimed and opened the door. The young man's eyes widened at the sight of his best friend in a fetal position, his wife cradling her as if she were a small child. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. Her hand was clutching something tight and he placed his hands over hers. She was still crying, but she moved closer into him as he retrieved what she was holding.

"By the Angel," Simon swore when he saw the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. "This is really happening."

Another sob escaped Clary's throat, "We haven't talked about kids yet, Simon. We're not ready to be parents. We've only been married for three years! Jace is going to be so mad."

"Clary," Simon began, sharing a sad look with Isabelle. "I promise, everything is going to be okay. Jace loves Marisol and River, he's going to be over the moon when he finds out. Right, Izzy?"

Isabelle fell silent, her face pale. Clary slumped her shoulders and moved so that she was laying on her sister's lap. She pulled up her fitting garment and placed her hand on her stomach. There was a tiny bulge, but that was probably from Clary's new eating habits. "He will," The eldest Lightwood claimed, placing her hand on Clary's stomach as well. "Because he'll have the most attractive baby anyone has ever seen."

Clary laughed through her tears, "I'm going to be a fucking mom, Izzy."

"Hell yeah you are!" She cheered, their noses touching together. "A damn great mom!"

Simon let out a sigh of relief, "That means I get to be an Uncle," He pumped his fists, "Dudes, I finally get to be called Uncle Simon!"

Clary and Isabelle laughed at him, their hands still intertwined on her stomach. "Our family just got ten times crazier." She chuckled, helping her sister-in-law off the floor. "When are you going to tell him?"

The red head took a deep breath as she composed herself, smiling at Isabelle. "At the party. I'll make an announcement."

A grin began to spread across Isabelle's face, "This is going to be fun."

0o0o0o

With renewed strength, Clary was determined to make it through the rest of the day. Now that she finally knew what was the matter, that all of her worries about her health were moot, she felt a weight behind lifted off her shoulders. She avoided Jace for the afternoon, slipping in and out of her room quietly in order to prepare for later that night.

She was grateful he was just as busy as her, keeping track of demons and vampires to make sure they don't come within a mile radius of their celebration. Clary stared at herself in the mirror, tears glistening in her eyes as she felt her stomach. There was no bump just yet, but she could feel the difference that a new life was growing within her. It made her love the baby already, knowing that it was a product of her and Jace's love. Oh, he would be a wonderful father. She knew of his previous distaste towards children, given how his father treated him, and therefore grew indifferent over the years. Once Mari and River came along, as well as Elias and Maxine, Jace made sure to prove his worth to Clary. Taking the job of babysitting, changing their diapers, cooking meals, reading bedtime stories; all of it, Jace made the job of being a parent look ten times easier.

When he heard that he, himself, was going to be called 'daddy', she could just see the expression on his face. The look of wonder, and excitement, and love.

"Clary?" Speak of the devil; Clary let out a sigh. She knew she couldn't avoid him for long. "Are you in here?"

"Yes, honey," She uttered, slipping on a bra and a pair of panties. She quickly hid the dress so Jace couldn't peek.

Her husband gave her a confused look. "Clary, we're leaving in an hour. Are you sure you're okay?" His tone wasn't demanding, or harsh. It still made her heart beat a mile a minute.

"Jonathan," Clary grinned cheekily, knowing that Jace often got irritated when she used that name. "Come here."

Hypnotized, Jace moved closer, wrapping his arms around Clary's waist. "Yes, my love?" He breathed into her ear, causing her to gulp.

"I have something to tell you. I know I should probably wait until the party, but I can't. I'm so excited." She paused, making sure her face were just inches away from his. "Jace, just found out today. I wanted to take three more tests to make sure it was completely positive. Jace, we're pregnant!" She rushed out, her eyes glistening with tears.

She waited a second. A minute, for him to respond. But scarily, he said nothing; he just stared at her, with a blank expression on his face, unmoving. She blinked. Perhaps he was digesting in this new information. Perhaps he was thinking about their future. Or… what if, what if he was thinking about the fact that he didn't want a child? Clary's thoughts whirred in her mind as she backed away from him, her eyes never leaving his, trying to get a reaction.

With shaking hands, she sat on their bed, refusing to face him. She pulled out her cellphone. "Hi, Iz? Yeah. I don't feel so well. I don't think I'm going to make it."

" _Are you fucking serious, Clary? You're the one who's hosting this! What the hell am I going to tell the guests_?!"

"Nothing. Say I put you in charge. I just seriously feel really nauseous right now."

There was silence on the other line. Isabelle took this moment to digest what she'd requested, and suddenly, she put two and two together. " _Damn it, did you tell Jace? Where the fuck is that bastard? I swear, if he shows his sorry ass, I'm going too—_ "

Clary dropped the phone abruptly when she felt arms quickly wrapped around her waist, and their bed shake from Jace's sudden weight. She let out a squeal as Jace held her tight, and he let out the happiest laugh she had ever heard in a long time.

" _Clary? What the hell just happened?"_ Asked Isabelle from the other line, but Clary was too distracted by her husband. His hands found themselves on her stomach, gently caressing her pale, clammy skin. She quickly moved her foot and hit the 'end' button, and closed her eyes.

"Jace," She breathed out, tears now streaming down her face. "Don't scare me like that. I thought I was going to lose you."

He didn't answer, but she could hear soft cries coming from his mouth, and she gently turned her body to face him. "Jace, sweetie," She mumbled, gripping his hands. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, Clary," He chuckled, moving so he could sit on his knees, he beamed happily at her, "I… you know I'm not the greatest at expressing myself, but… holy shit, Clary. Is it true? Is it really true? How many others know?"

Clary giggled at him, placing her forehead against his, "Yes. Only Isabelle and Simon do. Remember how my _parabati_ started feeling the same symptoms I did? He figured out that I was pregnant. I was… I was scared to tell you because I knew you weren't ready for children. I feared you would abandon me in the following second."

"Clarissa Lightwood," Jace stated firmly, holding her face in his hands, "Never think for a second I'll leave you. I fucking married you, for God's sakes. You're my entire life. I can't imagine going a day without having you in it. And the fact that… the fact that there's a baby growing right now… inside you… I don't know how, but I feel like I just fell in love with you all over again."

Clary's breath hitched and she couldn't contain herself any longer; she roughly kissed him, almost knocking them off the bed. She let out a jolly laugh as they continued to be in each other's embrace, simply kissing, simply loving.

"You're going to be a mother, Clary, a mother!" He exclaimed, pecking her cheek.

"And you're going to be a father." She giggled, and sighed contently.

Jace smirked and kissed her, "Hey. Let's skip the party. Let's just order pizza, watch a movie, and make love afterwards."

"Jace!" She exclaimed, laughing. "We can't do that. I overreacted with Isabelle, I don't think I want to quit something I spent months working towards. Besides; don't you want to take off the dress I've been holding off wearing?"

That, at least, got his attention. Laughing, he reluctantly got off the bed, and gave her another kiss. "Alright, alright. It's a deal." He paused for a moment, and, leaning over, he whispered, "Hey. Clary. I love you."

Her heart full of love, she reached up and caressed his cheek. "I love you too, Jace. Forever and always."

 **THE END**


End file.
